2026 MN Senate District 49 Candidate
DFL

“As a teacher, pediatrician, Medicaid leader and military officer, I have spent my career solving difficult problems and protecting people. I want to help build a Minnesota that is affordable, accountable, welcoming and full of opportunity for every family.”

— Krish Subrahmanian —

Name: Krish Subrahmanian
Website: https://www.krishforsenate.com/
Email address: krish@krishforsenate.com
City of residence: Eden Prairie

Professional and volunteer background: 

I am a Hennepin Healthcare pediatrician, county Medicaid leader, University of Minnesota faculty member and Minnesota Air National Guard flight surgeon who recently returned from deployment. I have managed major healthcare budgets and led large organizations. Previously, I taught special education, math and science on the Rosebud Reservation. My volunteer service has focused on children, families, disability services and early childhood development through Fraser, the Redleaf Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here at home, I am also a Little League coach.

Why did you decide to run for a seat in the Minnesota Senate: 

I am running because families are working harder but struggling to afford housing, healthcare, childcare and everyday necessities. Meanwhile, fraud has undermined trust in government, and many neighbors feel their rights are threatened. As a teacher, pediatrician, Medicaid leader and military officer, I have spent my career solving difficult problems and protecting people. I want to help build a Minnesota that is affordable, accountable, welcoming and full of opportunity for every family.

What makes you the best candidate in this race: 

I offer a combination of experience no other candidate brings. As a pediatrician, I understand the needs of children, seniors and families. As a county Medicaid leader, I have controlled costs and investigated fraud, waste and abuse. As a former teacher, I understand our schools. As a military officer, I work across differences to accomplish the mission. I would be the Senate’s only physician and its only member with substantial operational Medicaid experience. This moment requires both compassion and competence.

What would be your top 3 priorities if elected to the Legislature: 

• My first priority is making Minnesota more affordable by lowering healthcare, housing, childcare and energy costs.
• Second, I would strengthen public education by closing the special education funding gap, supporting teachers, expanding mental health services and improving academic outcomes.
• Third, I would restore trust in government through stronger fraud prevention, transparent contracting, effective oversight and consequences for those who steal public funds. Protecting reproductive freedom, civil rights and the dignity of every Minnesotan will guide all this work.

If you were elected and could be guaranteed approval on one legislative bill in the upcoming session, what would that one bill address: 

I would pass a comprehensive family affordability and consumer protection bill that reduces childcare and healthcare costs while establishing strong safeguards for artificial intelligence. It would stabilize childcare providers, lower prescription drug and insurance costs, and protect access to primary and mental healthcare. It would also prohibit AI from unfairly denying healthcare, manipulating prices, discriminating against Minnesotans or exploiting personal information. As AI moves rapidly toward more generalized intelligence, regulation is already overdue. We must act now to protect families while ensuring innovation serves the public good.

What has been the biggest failure attributed to legislative action or inaction in recent years: 

One of Minnesota’s greatest failures has been allowing warnings about fraud to go unanswered for too long. Government systems were fragmented and slow to act, costing taxpayers, weakening essential programs and damaging public trust. The answer is not to stop helping people. It is to pair compassion with competence and accountability. The Legislature must require better data sharing, clearer responsibility, earlier intervention, transparent reporting and meaningful consequences. Public programs can be both generous and well managed.

What are your thoughts on the current level of taxation in Minnesota: 

Minnesotans should receive excellent value for the taxes they pay, and too many families feel squeezed without seeing that value. I would not balance the budget by shifting additional costs onto working families, seniors or small businesses. Government must first prevent fraud, eliminate waste and demonstrate results. Taxes support the schools, roads, public safety, healthcare and infrastructure that make Minnesota strong. My approach is practical: protect essential services, provide targeted relief, maintain a fair tax system and demand accountability for public spending.

With so much attention focused on national issues, how will you engage the community to increase awareness of local issues? 

Our campaign is built on learning together and bringing people together. I will hold monthly learning opportunities where residents can explore local issues, hear different perspectives and ask questions. We will also create opportunities to break bread together and learn about both the issues and one another. Finally, I will establish a transparent public dashboard showing the key performance indicators we set and our progress toward them. Residents should be able to see what we are working on, measure whether we are succeeding and hold me accountable.